Remote working has established itself as a standard offering by several companies across different countries worldwide. Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, several business leaders have understood that the flexibility of remote working does have its benefits. It is understandable that those who however work at the office, benefit from more face time with the people who have the power to promote them. Where does this leave those who work remotely on a regular basis?
Proximity and the boss
Many do comprehend that close proximity to management does play a role to some degree for promotions. Managers are more likely to trust the employees that they know the most, providing them with important assignments and projects, positively impacting their careers. It is also becoming clear that some layers of management would prefer their employees to be present at the office in view of engagement and productivity issues.
Remote working and discrimination
For remote workers, this becomes an issue of concern due to the insecurity that other colleagues might get preferential treatment in view of them being more present at the office. Feeling overlooked and stagnated within your career is demotivating and might make you insecure about working from home. Some people in fact, work additional hours over and above what they are contracted when working from home, simply to compensate and show that they are being productive.
In a world where hybrid working has become more frequent, businesses need to find ways to ensure that those completing their tasks from home get the same opportunities for advancement. Considering that hybrid working models have become normal, companies are working to address these issues.
Being overlooked for a promotion simply because of remote working depends a lot on the organisation. If the business works purely remote, being overlooked for a promotion because you are working from home is not a likely possibility. The same applies for organisations where the majority of employees work remotely for a few days a week. If on the other hand, one is part of a minority that works from home, this could become a possibility.
What are businesses doing?
To address these issues, businesses are taking steps such as employee tracking mechanisms incorporated within their operational procedures. This data at hand is necessary as it sheds light on the productive workers who might be overlooked simply because they are not visible at the office. It also helps with tracking unproductive employees. Certain companies do limit the amount of time that employees can work from the office. Some companies also engaged people to manage the remote function, to ensure that employees that work from home can get the necessary access to progression and resources.
What are your views about remote working? Do you think that this hinders career growth and promotions? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
